1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus and method for capturing an image where at least one area of an image to be captured has been selected.
2. Description of the Related Art
The increasing availability of digital cameras has resulted in an increasing number of digital photographs being taken. Camera manufactures have invested enormous efforts in providing better algorithms for exposure control, color balance compensation, sharpening, color rendering, etc. but there has been little effort in aiding users to take pictures with better spatial composition. This has resulted in users ending up with many pictures that are not aesthetically pleasing to view.
In some cases, photographs are viewed as a way for a photographer to convey a particular message, such as a statement, an impression, or an emotion. A good photographer is an author trying to convey the message in a clear, concise and effective way. Like any other message, the message being conveyed by the photographer through a particular photograph needs a main subject (people, animal, plant, building, natural vista, abstract form, etc. . . . ). In order to compose the message it is necessary to include a secondary message that provides context, such as the main subject's surrounding. By combining the subject and the context, a complete message can be created.
In creating the complete message, it is just as important to know what to exclude as knowing what to include. Anything that is not part of the main subject or its associated context is typically only a distraction. In order to give a flavor and style to a particular photograph, the photographer has to consider structural composition by using elements in the scene such as lines, geometry, perspective, color, texture, etc. . . . .
Currently, some commercially available digital cameras address this need by presenting guidelines to the user overlaid in the viewfinder or on the LCD display of the digital camera. The guidelines are horizontal and vertical and divide the image into thirds to aid the user in composing a picture according to the rule of thirds. One such camera allows the user to move the lines so they are aligned with objects in the image. Another camera includes diagonal lines that cross in the lower two thirds of the display and also includes a center square to help with proportions.
Other commercially available digital cameras include an analysis function that analyzes an image in order to suggest compositional corrections to the user. One camera looks for people by analyzing for flesh tones and provides advice by displaying a text warning. Another camera encourages the user to consider the best use of the whole frame by analyzing proportions of the people or objects in relation to strong horizontal or vertical lines. It then provides arrows indicating the directions in which the camera should be moved in order to create a more proportional image. Still yet, another camera analyzes the image to determine general characteristics of the scene and then chooses an appropriate template to overlay on the image thus directing the user in regards to proportion and framing.
After image capture, there are several post-processing tools available to the user that allows the user to alter the composition of the image. Post-processing tasks are typically time consuming and there are certain compositional elements that cannot be altered after the image is taken, such as shooting view point, wider angle shooting, or moving an element in the picture (by arranging elements in the scene). Standard commercially available post-processing applications typically just allow simple operations such as cropping and image rotation in 90-degree steps. An image that is well composed from the beginning will make much more efficient use of the image resolution and require far less post-processing to arrive at a pleasing image.
In light of the above, what is needed are better tools to aid a user in composing aesthetically pleasing and compelling images at the time the images are captured. An image that is well composed from the time it is captured will require less post-processing time and enable a user to obtain an aesthetically pleasing result more efficiently.